Tokyo · SHINJUKU TOURS
Golden Gai, Omoide Yokocho and the department-store basements are all within ten minutes of the same station. The 15 below are priced with the food and drinks counted, and say how many stops you actually get.
Walk through Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, and Golden Gai while tasting 13 Japanese dishes at four local eateries. Your guide, such as May, Hoshi, or Igor, handles ordering and explains Shinjuku culture. Expect two drinks, a maximum of 12 people, and plenty of food.
“Informative and friendly guide! Fantastic and diverse food stops. Ami was a great tour guide, would highly recommend.”
Spend about three hours with a local guide such as Yusuke, Yohei, Mao, or Nao, visiting three Shinjuku drinking spots. You’ll sample izakaya food, drinks, and backstreet nightlife in Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, and Golden Gai, with a group capped at seven people.
“We enjoyed our tour, but it would have been more fun I think if we'd had a bigger group. There were 4 participants, and my family was 3 of those! I'm not sure it made it too much fun for the one other person either. Also, while we very much enjoyed meeting our guide and spending time with her, she admitted she was young and not really a drinker, which I think had something to do with us not actually drinking much on the tour. At least, not the drinking one expected on a something called a "drinking tour." We did feel we got plenty of food, which was nice…”
Join an English-speaking guide such as Daichi, Fu, Aika, or Igor for a three-hour walk through Shinjuku’s food lanes and nightlife districts. You’ll eat at four local spots, including an izakaya and traditional eatery, with dishes such as sashimi, tonkatsu, yakitori, takoyaki, and two drinks.
“Our tour was excellent!! We walked through different sections of Shinjuku and ate a lot of interesting food. Our guide was the informative, engaging and sprinkled in just enough humour. We had a great group from all over the world and spent 3 1/2 hours eating and drinking. A great way to end our day.”
Spend 3.5 hours eating and drinking through Shinjuku with a bilingual guide such as Taiga, Yusuke, Nobu, or Chi. Visit four izakaya areas, taste 14-plus dishes, enjoy three drinks, and walk through Kabukicho, Golden Gai, and Omoide Yokocho. Food choices vary, and dietary requests need advance notice.
“The drinks were good especially the sake which is fairly new to me. The food was delicious and the amount we had generous. The small group meant you got to chat to everyone. The star of the night was Nobuto. Friendly, knowledgeable, welcoming and he just made everything work. We had a really good time, thanks to Nobuto, cheers mate!”
Start at Omoide Yokocho, walk through Kabukicho and Golden Gai, then visit local bars and izakayas with an English-speaking guide such as Nao, Naoya, Toshi, or Kei. Admission is included, but bring cash for food and drinks. The night ends with karaoke.
“Yutaro was amazing. He was super energetic and extremely knowledgeable about the Shinjuku area. The bars were fantastic! Great way to get to meet people from all over the world and spend a wonderful evening in Tokyo.”
At this Shinjuku workshop, you turn raw wooden sticks into usable chopsticks with a traditional kanna hand plane. Staff such as Masa, Tom, Yuki, Nana, and Sayaka guide beginners through shaping, sanding, and oiling. Choose from free or premium woods, then add optional engraving for 2,000 yen.
“They all speak English very well and are available to answer all questions you might have. The experience is charming, I recommend to do it if you pass by Shinjuku! Thank you to Shae and all the staff for the experience!”
In Shinjuku, a bilingual MC explains sumo rituals, rules, tactics, and history while two professional wrestlers perform live demonstrations. You can join a friendly ring challenge, ask questions, and take photos. The upbeat format suits families, couples, and first-time visitors to Japan.
“Sumo wrestlers were fun and interesting. Definitely a fun experience. Good light facts and enjoyable experience”
Spend about three hours eating through Shinjuku, from seasonal omakase sushi to Wagyu grilled over a shichirin stove. Your guide leads a group of no more than seven through Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, Godzilla Road, and Nishishinjuku, ending with dessert or a drink. Guides may include Molly, Yuma, Aoi, or Mimi.
“Our family of four (all adults) enjoyed this experience. Especially because of our guide Mimi. She spoke English well and was happy to answer all our questions. Not only about the food we were eating, but about life in Tokyo and Japan. She made our tour extra special. The food we had (sushi and wagyu) was delicious. I recommend this tour.”
In Shinjuku, an English-speaking host such as Paula, Dai, or Ari explains sumo history, rules, rituals, and techniques before professional wrestlers perform demonstrations and exhibition bouts. You can wear a sumo outfit, enter the dohyo, challenge a wrestler, and take photos. Food is not included.
“overall its good bc it teaches about sumo culture and you see the match”
Join a small-group evening walk through Shinjuku’s Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, and Golden Gai. Your English-speaking guide helps with ordering, explains local nightlife, and may finish with sake or karaoke. Food and drinks cost extra, and groups can reach 15 people.
“It was very difficult to find the starting point and the guide. He had no sign. The group was too large to hear what he was telling us. We lost some of the group because too large. Also we didn’t realize we would be sitting down at each spot. We expected a quick stock try a local drink then move on.”
Walk Shinjuku after dark with an English or Spanish-speaking guide such as Dani, Loc, Polina, or Gray. In two hours, you’ll see Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, Golden Gai, Hanazono Shrine, and 2 Chome, while learning about nightlife, local customs, and places to eat.
“Loc is a great storyteller! Enjoyed hearing and learning more about the history of the district. Plus he gave a fantastic recommendation on sari Suberi, fantastic ramen after the tour!”
Follow a local guide such as Mao, Akari, Ai, or Naoto through Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, Golden Gai, and Hanazono Shrine. This 90-minute walk mixes Tokyo history, night photography, restaurant tips, and quiet backstreets, with a vending machine drink included.
“We joined this walking tour on a Saturday afternoon in Shinjuku and had an amazing time. Ren has a local’s knowledge of Shinjuku and the Kabukicho district showing us the backstreets, bars, restaurants and subculture. He was super friendly and made us feel completely at ease. Thoroughly enjoyed it!”
Walk through Shinjuku with a small group of up to 10, stopping at four eateries for 15 dishes and drinks. Guides such as Dai, Mak, Haydn, Lisa, and Naruto have led versions of this tour, which mixes Okinawan food, sashimi, izakaya dishes, local history, and Kabukicho stories.
“Mak was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He took us around Shinjuku and brought us to many restaurants so we could sample various Japanese dishes. Everything was great and highly recommend this tour!”
Join an English-speaking guide such as Yuki, Naoki, or Mao for three hours of food, drinks, and local nightlife in Shinjuku. Visit Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, and Golden Gai, with dinner, two drinks at the first bar, unlimited drinks at the second, and one drink at the last.
“Icchan was the highlight of this. He has the best sense of humour and is beyond knowledgeable about the area and kimonos.”
Join Welcome Tokyo at EXBAR TOKYO plus on Friday evening for a standing social party built for solo visitors. Use color wristbands to find people seeking fun, language practice, dating, same-gender conversation, or other connections. Play Uno and Jenga, practice Japanese, and enjoy unlimited alcoholic drinks from 7:30 to 10 PM.
“Met a lot of people and had a good time! You get to meet a lot of people from different countries/backgrounds”
Pick a neighbourhood, a mountain or a kitchen.
